4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lace y

"Should we invite your roommate?"

"Why the hell would we do that?"

"It seems rude not to invite her."

"I'm sure she's busy. Plus, she hates going out. I hear her complain to her annoying friend every time he drags her out to any sort of event."

The voices drift from the living room and my cheeks flush with embarrassment. Do they not know I can hear every word they're saying?

Cecelia's gruff voice drifts through my walls, "Whatever. Let's invite her and be done with it."

"Wait. Is this the virgin?"

"Well, she doesn't bring any boys home, so…" Snickers fill the air and I bite down on my lip to keep from shouting a response. My roommate has never been the nicest person, but I didn't think she would talk shit about me to her friends.

I guess I can't blame her. I've put in little to no effort to get to know her, so it's only natural for a person to make assumptions.

Even with my rationale, my cheeks are still flushed with embarrassment when I answer the knock on my bedroom door. Cecelia greets me with a scowl that hasn't gotten any friendlier since the first day I moved in.

"My friends and I are going to a party tonight. Do you want to come?" She hooks a thumb over her shoulder, "Ava has agreed to DD, so the ride part is covered."

"Thanks for the offer but I've got some reading to do."

"I figured as much." Rolling her eyes, Cecelia turns and looks at the girl lounging on our dorm couch.

"See? I told you she wouldn't come."

The redhead gives me a wave, her pale skin and mass of freckles surprisingly cute, "I'm Maren. Nice to meet you."

On the couch opposite her, the girl with bleached dreadlocks doesn't bother lifting her gaze from her phone, "Ava."

"Uh, hi. I'm Lacey." I give Maren a small smile before turning back to my roommate who's busy lacing up her combat boots.

"I hope you have a good time tonight."

Maren pipes up from the couch, "Oh, we will. BEATS is supposed to be a million times better than the club here in Taber."

"BEATS? "

"It's Silverwood's hotspot." Ava looks up from her phone, "The lacrosse team is throwing a party tonight."

Pausing my trek back to the safety of my bedroom, I look at the girls, "You're going to Silverwood tonight?"

"That's right. We're heading into enemy territory." Maren lets out a hoot and Ava rolls her eyes.

"The rivalry between our schools is so dumb. Who watches sports anyway?"

Cecelia snorts, "Everyone except you, dumbass."

Ava flips her off and Maren lets out a laugh. Heart pounding in my ears, I go ahead and open my mouth.

"I'll come."

The room falls silent as they all turn to look at me. Clearing my throat, I try again, "If the invitation is still open, I would love to go out with you tonight."

Maren claps her hands, "Hell yeah! Welcome to the wild side, Lacey."

Ava nods her approval while Cecelia eyes me suspiciously.

"What changed your mind?"

Wiping my suddenly sweaty palms on my jeans, I give her a nonchalant shrug, "I've got a friend in Silverwood. Maybe she'll be there."

"Fine. But you better go change. We can't have your nun appearance chasing the guys away."

Ava snickers and I feel my cheeks heat up again. Walking back into my bedroom, I close the door and lean against it. Taking a moment to summon my courage, I shake the insecurities away and walk over to my little library. I pull out the hidden envelope and steal the sunshine tissue from inside.

It's time to make my wish a reality.

Clutching the tissue to my chest, I blow out a breath before walking over to my closest and picking out an outfit that won't send the guys running.

Not that I'm going to Silverwood to find a guy.

I'm going to find my friend Skylar.

"I call dibs on the Vin brothers." Cecelia lets out a drunken cackle from the passenger seat and Maren groans beside me.

"You can't have both!"

"Hell yeah, I can. Take your pick from the rest of the litter."

Ava snaps her fingers from the driver's seat, "She called dibs but if the Vin boys aren't in the mood for Cecelia's spunk then it's fair game."

My roommate thinks it over for a moment before nodding.

"Deal."

I stare out the window, watching the prairie fields fly by. The sun has started to set, creating a gorgeous backdrop against the Rocky Mountains in the distance.

"Who are the Vin brothers?"

Maren's jaw drops while Cecelia shifts in her seat to look at me .

"You haven't heard of Vector Vin? The guy who put our captain in the hospital last year?"

I pause, thinking about Wesley's first lacrosse tournament. Cody had ended up in the hospital, but I hadn't paid much attention to who was responsible.

Actually, that's a lie. I think I remember Stella ranting about Silverwood's infamous bully.

Ava shakes her head, "I heard they grew up in an abusive household. Apparently, Vector had to kill the father so they could get out."

Maren sighs, "I love a tragic backstory."

I stare at her in horror, "Domestic abuse is not a romance trope. These are real people you're talking about."

Cecelia rolls her eyes, "Don't be so high and mighty, roomie. Mare was just joking."

"No, she's right." Maren looks at me with glazed eyes, the three drinks she had back at the dorm well underway, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Do you forgive me?"

I give her a tight smile, "Nothing to forgive."

"The white hair is kind of hot, though." Maren giggles and lets out a hiccup, "Reminds me of President Snow."

"Fuck the white hair, what about the muscles on Vector?" Cecelia lets out a whistle, "That man can fuck me seven ways to Sunday."

Ava snickers and I go back to staring out the window. Reaching into my coat pocket, I trace the edges of the soft material with my fingertips .

Even if Skylar isn't there tonight, I'll find a way to meet her.

"WE'RE HERE!"

Leaning away from the drunk banshee, I look out the windshield and watch the overflowing parking come into view. The place is so crowded already that people are parking on the empty plots of land nearby. Following their lead, Ava pulls off the main street and drives along the bumpy dirt road until an empty space comes up.

"I'm so excited I might pee myself." Maren gives me a toothy grin, "Do you have toilet paper by any chance?"

"If you piss in my car, you're paying to have it detailed." Ava shifts the car into park and turns around to look at us, "Time for some ground rules, ladies."

Cecelia rolls her eyes, "Here we go."

"Shut it. We have a newbie here who doesn't know the DDD."

I blink, "Is that a new term for designated driver?"

Ava flicks a bleached dreadlock over her shoulder, "It stands for Designated Driver Discipline. Meaning, if you don't follow my rules, I'll kick your ass."

Maren reaches over and pats my hand, "She's only had to do that once, and the girl had it coming. You'll be just fine."

I gulp and turn my attention back to the driver.

"There's only three rules you have to remember. First, if you're going home with a guy, I don't want to know about it. Second, under no circumstances will I be driving a guy home for you. "

Cecelia nods in agreement, "Don't burden a hoe with a bro. I'll make sure to text the group chat."

"And third, if you need a ride home, meet back at this car by 1 AM. I don't plan on making my morning class tomorrow but driving after 2 AM gives me the creeps."

Maren draws a cross on her chest, "So creepy."

Feeling more than a little overwhelmed, I awkwardly raise my hand. It bumps against the car's low ceiling and I quickly pull it back down.

"What happens if we need a ride and its past 1 AM?"

Ava grins, "You're on your own, bitch."

Good to know.

"Enough chitchat, let's hunt down those varsity players!"

Cecelia hoots and hurls herself from the car.

The rest of us hop out and follow the swarm of university students heading towards the only establishment open at this time of night. The small, square building doesn't look like much from the outside, but the glowing BEATS sign and bass pumping from the open doors is enough to convince me we're in the right place.

The late fall air bites my skin as we race across the street, the thin material of my camisole and short skirt doing nothing to help my cause. The line moves swiftly and pretty soon we're handing over our IDs to the bouncer who gives each of us an appraising glance.

"You ladies are far from home tonight. "

The burly man tilts his head towards the Taber University lanyard hanging from Ava's keys.

Cecelia throws him a wink, "Thought we'd see what the other side has to offer."

A faint smile crosses his face before he steps aside and lets us pass. I shiver as a blast of heat hits us, the humid scent of sweat-soaked bodies hitting me immediately. Squinting against the dim lighting, a sea of unfamiliar faces stare back at me and another shiver goes through me.

We're definitely not in Taber anymore.

Skylar

"All you gotta do is follow my example, Baby Vin, and you'll be just fine."

Walsh, one of my brother's teammates, gives me a sleazy smile and I lean away. Out of all the Saber players, he isn't the worst, but the guy has a seriously bad habit of harassing women. Especially when he's drunk.

"I'm fine, thanks."

He grins, shooting me with his finger, "You already got the first step down. Confidence is key especially when the bitch doesn't know she wants to go home with you yet."

I stare at him, deadpan, "Maybe you should find someone who wants to go home with you in the first place."

My brother shoots me a warning look from his spot at the bar. The night has just begun, but there's already a lacrosse bunny in his lap, running her painted claws through his hair while two more linger nearby. If I had to guess their names, I'd choose the ones ending in "i."

"You're kind of funny, Baby Vin. But you need to learn how to smile more." Walsh frowns at me, his glazed eyes bouncing from me to the girls nearby, "Nobody likes a moody bitch."

I shrug, "It's better than being a bitch who pressures drunk girls into sex."

"Skylar." Vector snaps his teeth and the girl in his lap nearly falls off, "Enough."

The lacrosse players around us snicker until my brother levels them with a glare. I sigh, turning away from the group and scanning the crowded room. The vaulted ceiling helps to make the place seem a lot bigger than it actually is, but that doesn't stop the owners from pumping as many university students in here as possible.

My eyes sweep along the room, taking in the couples groping each other on the dance floor while old men leer from nearby tables. It's disgusting, looking at this place from a sober point of view, but I guess this is how some people escape reality for a little while.

"Hey, Vec. There's word going around some Taber Tigers just showed up." A freshman steps forward with a grin, his rookie status placing him as the low man on the totem pole, "And it's a group of girls."

Murmurs go around the group and a flash of interest lights up my brother's face .

"Some cubs came to play, did they?" He smiles, "Let's give them a warm welcoming."

The girl sitting on his lap lets out a cry of protest when he stands up, forcing her to stumble back onto her own two feet. The freshman snickers and offers Vector another grin.

"No need to go chasing, Vin. They're coming this way."

He points to a group of four girls idling around the bar.

The small redhead seems to be the drunkest of them all, her flushed face and flailing arms giving away an intoxication level that probably shouldn't have been reached tonight. A girl with blonde dreadlocks is standing nearby, typing on her phone, while the one with green hair stares directly in our direction. I fight back a flinch when her predatory gaze lands on me.

Walsh lets out a whistle, "Check out the legs on Miss Skirt. I've always wanted to fuck a model."

I turn my attention to the tallest member of the group. The girl's midnight curls cascade down her back, bringing out the lavender colour of her top and the creamy shade of her skin. I can't determine the colour of her eyes from here, but I can tell from the way she keeps scanning the crowd that she's looking for someone.

I blow out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. All the girls in the group are attractive, but this one is another level.

She's exquisite.

I'm not the only one who thinks so based on the looks she keeps getting from the guys lingering around the bar. Even if rumour hadn't gotten out these girls were from Taber, everyone would have known they don't belong.

She's got the kind of face you don't forget.

"Game face, fellas. Let's make sure our rivals get the authentic Silverwood experience."

The varsity team lets out a cheer and Vector sits back on his barstool, pulling the two remaining lacrosse bunnies closer. They respond accordingly, giggling and leaning into his embrace to help paint the picture of who holds the power in this town.

Dropping my gaze, I turn and walk away, refusing to condemn the throne my brother sits on.

I slip into the crowd, the rowdy chatter of the lacrosse team just beginning to fade when the girl with green hair steps out in front of me.

"Skylar, right?"

She smiles, drawing my attention to her harsh features, "I'm a big fan."

"You've got the wrong brother. The lacrosse player is that way." Jerking my thumb over my shoulder, I'm about to walk away when she grabs my arm.

"Actually, it was you I was hoping to get to know better." She runs a finger up my arm, causing my body to tense, "Your eyes are really something."

"You've got the wrong idea. I don't do one-night stands."

"If you perform well maybe we can make it more than one night. "

She grins and I can only stare at her. She wants to fuck someone who doesn't even know her name.

"Sorry. Not interested." Pulling my arm from her grasp, I give her a shrug, "Maybe lead with your name next time."

The girl rolls her eyes, "Whatever dude. You should hit up my roommate so you two can lose your virginity together."

"Cecelia, be nice!" The redhead appears and gives me an apologetic smile, "I'm so sorry! She's not normally this mean, she's just in a mood tonight."

She gives me an obvious once-over and my shoulders stiffen.

"You're really cute, though. Just thought you should know."

I stare back, seeing the kindness in her face that Cecelia lacked. Most guys love a girl who isn't interested in emotional attachment but I find those encounters make me feel used.

Unseen.

"Have a good night." I duck my head, trying to disappear into the crowd as quickly as possible.

Laughter and flirty banter echoes around me as I hunt for a quiet place to catch my breath. The club's small dance floor is already packed with sweaty bodies grinding against each other while a deafening rap song pumps through the speakers overhead.

I duck past the side exit that doubles as the smoke pit and find a small corner tucked away in the shadows.

Leaning against the wall, I breathe in a moment of peace and watch the Silverwood students mingle around me. A girl shrieks with laughter when her partner picks her up and swings her around, and the careless joy on her face puts an unexpected ache in my chest.

There's only one girl I want to see tonight and I don't even know what she looks like.